This invention relates to the field of preparing food products in shirred, tubular casings and enclosing the products in netting. As used in this specification, the term “shir” refers to the process of gather a continuous tube of casing material over a tube or horn. The term “ruck” means to shir netting over a tube or horn. Traditionally, meat products were wrapped in netting prior to processing. Removal of the netting after processing, whether it be cooking, smoking, curing, aging, or otherwise, often resulted in some of the meat products sticking to the netting and being pulled off during the removal process, leaving an unsightly appearance unpleasant to consumers.
The use of edible collagen films solved this problem. Meat products, including sausages and whole-muscle products, are now conventionally enveloped into a tubular shape in an edible collagen film. In the prior art, flat sheets of collagen film are turned over plows to form a sausage casing. The casing is then wrapped in a net and the product is further processed, such as cooking, aging, or smoking. After processing, the netting is removed easily, as it does not stick to the collagen film. Various collagen films can be used, including flavored and colored films, to create various taste sensations or appearances.
The use of flat sheets of collagen films requires the use of complicated plows and guides, as noted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,477 to Winkler. The use of such an arrangement requires extended set up time and diligent supervision during operation. This method also produces quite a bit of overlap of film and allows food product to leak at the seams if insufficient overlap is not present. Accordingly, this method inefficiently wastes film.
The use of netting provides a mesh or dimpled appearance on the surface of the food products. Having a dimpled appearance is considered more appealing to consumers, so there is an advantage to being able to create a highly-dimpled appearance in a food product, especially sausages and hams and other smoked products.
Accordingly, a need exists for a simpler, more efficient, easier way to encase food products in collagen film, requiring less set up time, less supervision, and producing a highly-dimpled end product. The present invention fills this need.